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Kansas City’s Power & Light District was crawling with curiosity Friday as a sellout crowd made its rounds, participating in the recently revived Startup Crawl event and exploring a new side of the city they call home. “We saw a mix of familiar and unfamiliar faces,” said Austin Barnes, executive editor of Startland News and…
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The 2023 Give Black KC campaign kicked off Monday, beginning the annual week of fundraising efforts focused on supporting Black-led nonprofits in Kansas City in an effort to achieve racial equity. This year’s fundraiser will benefit four organizations: Be Great Together, Front Porch Alliance, WeCode KC, and Kansas City G.I.F.T. Brandon Calloway, CEO and co-founder…
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Wesley Hamilton’s latest project — an inclusive gym in Westport — provides community and a comfortable environment for other people with disabilities, the entrepreneur-turned-reality TV personality and advocate shared. Hamilton, founder of the Disabled But Not Really Foundation and Kansas City social entrepreneur, opened the doors to his new training hub at 3939 Washington St.…
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Michael Stuckey’s personal commitment to equitable treatment for all people made a Pride Month initiative for Kansas City distillery Lifted Spirits a no-brainer, he said — even as multinational brands like Bud Light and Target have seen backlash to pro-LGBTQIA+ campaigns. “It’s not a complex issue to me, honestly,” said Stuckey, founder of Lifted Spirits.…
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Music connects community in ways other mediums cannot, said Amber Giangregorio. “Life can be so serious sometimes, so it’s good to take a step back and have some fun. On Stage with SIS is all about having fun, while also supporting a good cause. It’s a time for our clients and community to get to…
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An emerging Kansas City culinary icon will help lead the way among socially-engaged entrepreneurs creating a more inclusive economy that helps overlooked individuals move workforce barriers to the back burner. Chef Shanita McAfee-Bryant is among 18 employment social enterprise leaders from across the country chosen by leading venture philanthropy REDF (the Roberts Enterprise Development Fund)…
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Endeavor Heartland, the Northwest Arkansas-based division of a global network built to support high-impact entrepreneurs, has officially made its first foray into the Kansas City market, the organization announced. Pepper, a full-stack Internet of Things (IoT) platform-as-a-service provider, in May became the inaugural company from the Kansas City region to join Endeavor’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Shawn…
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A shift in leadership at Kansas City Fashion Week is expected to emphasize the brand’s commitment to showcasing and promoting local and national talent within the industry, its outgoing executive said. “The future of the fashion industry in Kansas City is in the best possible hands,” said co-founder and CEO Philip Willoughby, announcing the sale…
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A physical storefront wasn’t originally part of the plan for paraMi, co-founder Veronica Alvidrez shared, until the women behind the brand listened to the needs of their community. “We knew we wanted to offer our customers a shopping experience,” Alvidrez explained. “When we did pop-up events, we realized our shoppers are tactile shoppers and they…
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Brush Creek will put teams of professionals and other competitors to the test this weekend as Kansas City’s annual Dragon Boat Festival returns to the Country Club Plaza. For at least one crew, the waterway will become a lab of sorts — with leaders evaluating their teamwork and collaboration skills. Chris Jurief, a fourth-year resident…
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